Assessing Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, Brock Bowers for 2024 season | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

always do the drafts for my leagues not that anybody cares but this is just general advice that applies to everyone do it as late as possible because you never know what's going to happen you never know when that injury is going to happen there's going to be a curveball I always like to do the draft as late as possible but plenty of these rookie receivers Chris are going to be coveted as they always are but it feels like especially this year there's some guys who could be special yeah there definitely is it's it's a it's a good group as far as you know we've seen the last few years as depth at wide receiver the same as is the this year with this this wide receiver class but the first rounders right the guys that got all the headlines and the pre-draft process and after that they've all shown up they all have the have the look like you and I talk about the Look test right does that look right does their movement look right all of that and you know for for rookies a lot of them are going to be under the gun to you know perform and be a big part of the offense right away so that's what's interesting about the group but damn it does look pretty talented so far all right a little word association with the rookie first round pass catchers including also the tight end that went round one let's start with the sixth overall pick Giants receiver Malik neighbors Mr do it all I me that that's who he is to to me when I look at it Malik neighbors you haven't seen him the Giants have been very simple on offense so far but Mr do it all can be the guy that you know one I was do I call him Mr do it all or do I call him Mr Redline cuz you've heard me say he's Reckless you watching practice highlights here in the the New York area social media all of that but I say can do it all too because of his ability to hey catch back shoulders jump balls do that I think he's going to be an incredible slot receiver he and and and be able to work the middle of the field let alone just line him up outside and go oh wait that guy's manto man he's going to run by him let's do it Malik neighbors uh I think will be the most featured of the rookie receivers and the go-to guy and the offense will be based around Malik neighbors and what he can do but this is what I mean the contortion of his body and these catches have been showing up all through training camp I think his legs are a little dead right now cuz he's a new toy and they're probably giving him a ton of reps but he is incredible with that type of stuff and uh I'm excited to see what he can do for the G man here's a little back shoulder on the right sideline look at this Mike I he is really good at that stuff body control arms out putting his body in vulnerable position to catch the ball pretty incredible for me it's obj with a question at the end because if you're going to be and cuz he's going to be compared to Odo Beckham Jr the last significant first round rookie receiver that the Giants had who made a huge Splash but there was some bad with the good there were some issues that went along with the Superstar him does he become a star how does he handle it does it lay the foundation for him to ultimately be out of New York like New York Like Beckham was but yeah I'm just I'm just curious how much are we gonna track Beckham and neighbors yeah and and that's not always a good thing track it in a good way maybe don't track the things where it went sideways not that it was his fault it was a bad situation all around but it did go it did go sideways eventually well it it did right as we know with Superstar receivers it can be like that and and neighbors is definitely a guy that's like hey give me the damn ball that was a little bit of hiso if you talk to coaches around football at LSU where he is that got that type of personality I should have the ball I'm the man I'm the best athlete on the team why wouldn't I have the ball all the time but I hear you the obj thing there's some things about his game that are very similar and uh yeah he's got a little personality to him too but hopefully doesn't cross the line where he pisses the quarterback off in the organization next one romad dun Bears receiver what's your word association smooth ooh ooh ooh oo yep that was four O's in there and that smooth okay just five syllables stretched a one syllable word out to five he is smooth and ex and surprisingly I think a little more explosive than I thought really that's what I would say but you know you were at like obj question mark right Romo dun is one of those guys like he's got a guy on his team where he can almost write the same thing you go Keenan Allen question mark right is he going to be that I think he is a lot like that except I think he has more downfield speed but smooth route Runner you could tell he's already comfortable in the offense the way he adjusted to Caleb Williams on the on the scramble drill and then runs up the sideline and does that and makes the adjustment to the ball right he's one of those guys where it doesn't look like he's running that fast but then you go wait there he turned the corner for 15 okay maybe he's a little faster than I thought it's long striding that way uh but he's got great body control and great route running ability and of course a little size to go with it well I mean this is longer than just a word or two but I wish the Bears hadn't drafted him how about that purple is going to be dealing with this guy and and you pair him with Caleb Williams it is a perfect match maybe that's the simpler articulation it just feels like exactly what needed to happen Caleb Williams and romad dun entering the league together not one guy was already there and here comes the other guy they're coming in at the same time they're joining at the hip it's the best receiver quarterback combination probably that the Bears have ever had and they haven't even played in a regular season game yet so I think he's going to be great and we liked him a lot at the scouting combine I interviewed him at one point after that and I like him even more yeah he's be if bears bears fans should be feeling pretty good about what they've got and just just nervous and hope that it all works kind of like all right let's see how this goes cuz it feels like it could be good I think the way it looks with the Bears and him first off I'm with you that it could be a special connection for a long time I I'm going to predict right now DJ Moore is number one in that offense Romo dun will be number two and Keenan Allen will be number three from what I've seen on the field and the Polish of dunesday has and all that and then of course the connection with Caleb Williams uh yeah I think he's going to have a big part in this offense what an amazing collection of receivers and then then you have DeAndre Swift at tailback yeah all right uh Raiders tight end Brock Bowers 13th overall pick right it it's uh Swiss army knife okay he hasn't played a ton he only you know he only played a in that first preseason game maybe it was two drives maybe I'm wrong about that but Mike they we know we can catch the ball do all that stuff but they used him in in a way of hey traditional tight end right tight end right off the edge of the other tight end and may split him out at receiver a bunch put him in the slot put him at fullback a few times right so they are going to get him on the field in some way shape or form there and utilize him in his athletic ability so I'm excited to to see what they do with Brock Bowers and and of course the other tight end a mayor they they got a real Duo there that's pretty talented the ghost of the ghost remember the ghost yeah that was before your time Dave Casper oh right great tight end back in the 70s yeah that just I I think that this may be one of those situations where all of a sudden you've got this great pass catching tight end and look they had why am I blanking on the guy who just retired that they traded to the GI why am I doing that Waller that's right thank you problem they it's not like they haven't had great pass catching tight ends but it just feels like when you make the guy the 13th overall pick that's right your first round pick you're pinning so much on him you're kind of putting him on that pedestal I feel like this has the potential to be special and they just and they have Michael Mayer too I that you know it's it's it's easy to look at the Raiders is also rans but when you start looking Name by name it's like they they got some stuff if it if it all falls together and Bowers is going to be a big part of that they they could be better than a lot of people expect yeah quarterback play can they you know run the ball a little bit with white at at running back and that old line be there and you go yeah they got a little more Talent than I think maybe people realize all right uh Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr what comes to mind for you there watch out watch out right I would say this out of all the receivers I've watched and listen it's pre season and these guys are learning I know that and a lot of the times when you're young you're the new toy gosh does the coach love to send that guy deep like 75 times during practice look what you can do look what we can do and then you know sometimes they get to the game and they might not be an explosive but with Brian Thomas Jr out of all the wide receivers and I've watched them all he's the fastest he's the most explosive right and he looks like he's learning releases and some of the things that he might have been a little raw with coming out of LSU I mean that's special right there but clips of him when he does catch the ball or even Clips where he didn't get the ball and he's out there he runs by people he is a specimen he looks like a Calvin Ridley a lot in a lot of ways with his body makeup he could be one of those guys where yeah he wasn't the top 10 pick but I'd say oh watch out for it he could be the big play guy for the Jaguars I remember you had him at number two yeah you had Malik neighbors Brian Thomas Jr and then Marvin Harrison Jr right uh when you were going into the draft with your receiver rankings I see him as Trevor Lawrence contract justification because having that guy around is going to make Lawrence a better quarterback because what's going to happen teams are going to realize we got to double him we got to account for him and then you got all the other weapons it's going to be a lot easier for Trevor Lawrence to play quarterback with Brian Thomas Jr taking that defense and forcing one of the things you like to say coverage of every blade of the grass having a guy like that makes that happen yes exactly that's the good offenses make you do that you heard me last year complain with Jacksonville there there's too much intermediate short passing game they need to find more ways to kind of Infuse deep passes into the normal offense I think Brian Thomas Jr kind of give them the the confidence uh to do that a lot more in that offense last one Chiefs receiver Xavier worthy who set the 40 yard dash record at the scouting combine what do you got they needed this or missing piece maybe I should say that they needed something to where there was a guy that you had to worry about going deep flying down the football field I mean he is Mr straight line pedal to the metal right he can fly straight straight line long strider for his size like kind of a deceiving speed right could could probably work on his quickness and ability to shake people a little bit doesn't make a lot of people miss that way but on plays like this where hey he gets a release and now he gets up field and the safety is like oh no I don't know if he's running the post or run into the corner but I know I need to back up because I can't run with him he is going to open up people within that offense let alone he is going to be a target for momes down the field he is a real down the field threat this Xavier Worthy and that's where I think you'll see him make his money this year he's not going to be a lot of underneath in the middle of the field I don't think he's made for that it's the stuff we saw right there that I think he's be really good at for me it's don't get hit I mean he he really does remind you of Deshawn Jackson very slight of frame and you don't want to put too much weight on a guy like that because then he starts to lose the speed now depending upon the quality of the muscle I don't know maybe he could get faster if they do it the right way but just watching those clips it's like don't don't don't don't hurt him I mean he we we've been around I mean you lived well we just saw Hollywood Brown get hurt similar guy right these These are giants and this is just a normalized human being who looks tiny and skinny and out of place among the the redwood trees and I just I worry about that you got to use them in a way that that ensures he's going to be available because they need him they need Hollywood Brown whenever he comes back they need Rashid rice need those guys that that Trio now of guys who can who can give the offense an element that you know it's been lacking since Tyreek Hill was trading yeah that's that's exactly right last year there was not not enough people that scared of Defense at the receiver position I think Rashid rice is ready to take the next step as long as he doesn't get suspended here to where we go wow he's the number one go-to guy and I think guys like Xavier worthy are only going to emphasize that even more because of uh Hey the the ability to stretch the field reverses around the edge you know a screen every now and then he can certainly take some pressure off the offense with his big play ability okay you have a chance to win $1 million in the NBC sweep Stakes on Yahoo fantasy just download the redesign Yahoo fantasy app or go to nbcsports.com fantasy million for additional details what are you waiting for hi it's Mike Florio thanks for 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